School technology enters era of wireless
Katherine Pigaga
"I can't find my server! Do I have to connect here? Can
you help me?" Cries like these, up until recently, could be frequently
heard in both the Technical Aid Resource (TAR) room and the various computer
labs around Marian.
However, due to the diligent work of both Mr. Bruce Esser,
physics teacher and one of the three TAR moderators, along with the majority of
the TAR crew, these urgent pleas will no loner be heard.
Enter the age of the wireless ports.
A wireless port is small, and almost entirely inconspicuous
when tucked neatly out of the way. However, their abilities are beyond measure.
Potentially reaching up to 200 feet away, the recently purchased and installed
ports are some of the most powerful on the market. These small wonders can, if
used properly, deliver internet access and the ability to open one's server
space from most locations in the school.
"I think it's awesome," said junior Beth Straely,
one of the TAR's who helped install them.
"A wireless network really brings us up to date with our computers,
and it means students can bring their own laptops in, if they want."
It's a new freedom in learning, with the ports set up in
Etherhaven, the Quad, the College Center, Pipeline, the TAR room and in Mr. Tom
Baker's room on the third floor.
"We actually had wireless port access before, but these
new ones are amazing, and have a lot more power," said Mrs. Sharon
Genoways, physics teacher and another of the TAR moderators. "It's a big
step forward in keeping up with quickly changing technology."
Now, from almost anywhere in the Marian building, a
Macintosh iBook, one of the Marian laptops, available to be checked out from
the library, homework and research can be performed. Marian had truly entered a
new era.